The Boy in Red
by HappyBee32
Summary: A series of poems, one for each of the Strawhat Pirates and their Captain. From Brook to Zoro, what it was like before (and after) they met The Boy in Red. Companion series to 'The Art of Freedom'. Complete.
1. Nine: Happy Songs

Nine

* * *

 **(Happy Songs)**

* * *

He sings happy songs

Of better days

Of brighter futures

That turned better ways

.

He sings of Bink

And nakama true

Of yellow suns

And oceans blue

.

He sings of death and life and love and hate

Of all the world he's seen at sea

Of islands far or vast or wide

As if there's no better place than this ship to be

.

He sings happy songs

Of better days

Of brighter futures

That turned better ways

.

He sings of Bink

And nakama true

Because beyond this godforsaken haze

The ocean must still be blue

.

If only wind could carry sound

Farther than these eyes can see

(Although... _Yohoho, skull joke!_ )

How satisfied his bones might be

If a certain whale

Could know his tale

And his music could flow free


	2. Eight: Against the World

Eight

* * *

 **(Against the World)**

* * *

Dear Tom (he thinks)

The days are long

When metal is cold to skin

If only he

Could've seen

Against the world, you never win

.

Dear Tom (he says)

The months are long

When scrap metal gives no joy

If only he

Could've gleaned

He'd miss his days as a boy

.

Dear Tom (he yells)

The years are long

When he needs more money to buy a dream

With Adam's Wood

Then he could

Sail the best ship the world's ever seen

.

Dear Tom (he screams)

The world is wrong

Can't they see how much you've given?

But their eyes are closed

And they chose

To stop the best man he knows from living

.

Dear Tom (he cries)

He isn't strong

Trains should be _nothing_ to his pain

He's thrown aside

His savior died

And can't stop Death, to his shame

.

Dear Tom (he writes)

It's been so long

And this body is more metal than skin

He's doing fine

( _Someday_ he'll shine)

Though, against the world, you never can win


	3. Seven: Between the Lines

Seven

* * *

 **(Between the Lines)**

* * *

She will run forever

(If she has to)

A demon in disguise

(That's what they call her)

She will find the truth

(Because she wants to)

She will escape their fate

(At least for now)

She will use him

(If she's careful)

And then betray him

(Because she must)

The truth is sacred

(At least she thinks so)

It's part of her dream

(She'll die to achieve it)

But this road is so long

(The clues are running out)

This is her last chance

(In the kingdom of sand)

She will chase it forever

(If she's able to)

It must be revealed

(And she's trying)

But it isn't quite right

And then she's dying

 _(But... is that such a bad thing?)_


	4. Six: Blue Snow

Six

* * *

 **(Blue Snow)**

* * *

Sakura petals remind him of spring

And Death, if he's honest

But most of all,

They remind him of life

The time spent saving it

And the time spent losing it

.

Blue reminds him of heartache

And how cruel the world can be

He's more human than reindeer

More monster than human

A blue nose

And furry skin

Are just the curses

The world's given him

.

Rubbing alcohol reminds him of books

Red blood

And shiny metal

Made to cut and heal

All at the same time

And somewhere, in the back of his mind

He wonders, if monsters were doctors,

Could people forget that they're monsters?

.

Snow reminds him of home

Dusty books

And furry skin

Heartache

Death

And shiny metal

Spring

Monsters

And sakura petals


	5. Five: Honey and Oranges

Five

* * *

 **(Honey and Oranges)**

* * *

If her favorite word is 'money'

Then her least favorite word is 'pirate'

Cruelty and Piracy and Death go hand in hand

'Cause blood and money are like honey and water

To the demons of the sea

.

Her favorite word is 'money'

Because money means freedom

And freedom means life

And, if she's entirely honest

Probably 'revenge' too

.

Her least favorite word is 'pirate'

Because pirates mean slavery

And slavery means pain

And, if she's entirely honest

'Utter hopelessness' too

.

Talking about money

Holding gold in her hands

Tastes like oranges

And smells like a cool sea breeze

Sun on her skin

And ink on her fingers

'Money' means freedom

.

Talking about pirates

Doing their bidding

Leaves a sour taste

And makes her feel spoiled

Rotten soul

And blood on her hands

'Pirates' mean cruelty

.

If her least favorite word is 'pirate'

Then her favorite word is 'money'

Freedom and Money and Life go hand in hand

'Cause blood and money are like honey and water

When she has lives to save


	6. Four: Life Lessons

Four

* * *

 **(Life Lessons)**

* * *

He was taught

To treat women right

And he's seen enough cruelty in the world

To know

That if he doesn't

Who will?  
.

He was taught

To feed the hungry

Not by an old man

Or common passerby

But by the feeling of dying

Slowly

While his stomach tries to eat itself

And the feeling of emptiness

That came from all his hope

Being eaten up too

He learned

There are worse fates

Than death by a knife

Even if

It's in the back

.

He was taught

How to fight

Because if he didn't

The world, in all it's cruelty,

Would swallow him up

And that's one meal

He won't serve

.

He was taught

How to cook

With nothing

Sea Kings and strange plants

Are just ingredients

And he wonders

If he knew then what he knows now

Would he ever have starved?

(Then he remembers:

Even the best chef

Can't cook rocks)

.

He was taught

To love

And feed

And fight

And cook

Though sometimes

When he echoes his promise to another hopeful

Ready to take him away to far of lands

(And, quite possibly, mystical seas)

But he denies-

He wonders if someone should've taught him

How to _leave_


	7. Three: The Honest Truth

Three

* * *

 **(The Honest Truth)**

* * *

Once he was the strongest man

In all the sea and sky

All were awed by his daring!

And how he never told a lie

.

Once he had a mount of gold

His riches stacked so high

The sky itself complained of it

(Why ever would he lie?)

.

Once he had ten thousand men

That obeyed him at his side

And each one said truthfully

'Captain's never lied'

.

Once he traveled all the seas

Sailing far and wide

Told all his tales in every land

So they knew he never lied

.

Once he knew a girl his age

Who dreamed of seas and sky

This angel was healthy all her days

(And he's never told a lie)

.

Once he had a kindly father

Who came home every night

He told tales of brilliant worlds

(You know he doesn't lie)

.

Once he had a loving mother

Who could never die

And one day he found this truth

Would turn out to be a lie

.

Once he had a dream to be

The best pirate in all the blue

Isn't it a shame though?

There no way it could be true


	8. Two: Here He Is

Two

* * *

 **(Here He Is)**

* * *

Every once in a while

When he drags in a good haul

He goes to the pub

Puts his swords down on the counter

And orders enough sake

For twenty men

.

He drinks them slowly

But drinks them all

So that he can feel

The fruits of his labors

Buzzing in his head

And he thinks

.

Here he is

In a bar

Where no one stands

And tries to fight

After just seeing three swords

On the counter

.

Here he is

In the weakest sea

Challenging the world

To fulfill a promise

Fighting and ripping

Anyone and everyone

.

Here he is

One man

Against thousands

Three swords

Against oceans

He shouts

I'll be the best!

Yet it's lost in the din

.

Here he is

Fifteen cups closer to nothing

Nineteen years into life

With a few thousand in bounties

To show for it

Apparently

Three swords

Two hands

And a promise

Are not enough

For the world to spare him a glance

.

It's only after a real dangerous guy

One that kills and maims and slaughters

Is put behind bars because of him

That he sets his swords aside

And orders enough sake

For thirty men

(Shouldn't he feel satisfied?)

.

And at the end of the night

Despite the pleasant ache of a fight

Settling into his bones

(Not as bad as last time- he's improving)

And the hazy film

On the world

Does he admit

(For all his goddamn swordsman's pride)

That maybe- just maybe-

He's not getting closer to his dream

.

Weakness is a cage

And he's picked the best iron in the world

Weakness is a pillow

Putting some to rest

Suffocating him

Weakness is a disease

And he wonders

If he's infected

Will he even be able

To challenge the world

(Even if it's just for his own ears and swords)

.

Here he is

Getting farther away

Lost in the din


	9. One: A Fact of Life

One

* * *

 **(A Fact of Life)**

* * *

Death, he wants to say,

There are hopes

And dreams

And then there are facts

.

He knows it's a fact

That his grandfather

Is a mean old man

With more bite than bark

(And he's also got _a whole lot_ of bark)

.

He thinks it could be true

That fists and love

Are almost the same thing

(They just hurt in different ways)

.

He knows that the old man

Wants him to turn out right

And strong

But judging by what he has planned

Not free

(Laws are just another kind of chain)

.

He's positive that piracy

Is the only way to go

And the only way to be truly free

Is to rule them all

(There's nothing better than that)

.

He knows for a fact

The words 'king of the pirates'

Taste free on his tongue

Even _better_ than meat

('Cause kings are _forever_ )

.

He knows that a hero

Is kind to others

And shares with people

When he thinks about sharing his hat

Or meat

He gets the chills

(Until he remembers: pirates _aren't heroes_ )

.

He knows that he'll find

A family one day

Whether he steals one

(Remember: Pirate)

Or earns one

Or forces them to accept him

He'll get one

(He wasn't planning on doing all three)

.

He knows he's made of rubber

He's reminded when he falls

And bounces

Or eats

And bloats

Or 'swims'

And sinks instead

He's called a monster

But he'll show them one day

Stretchy skin doesn't define him

(He'll be king _no matter what_ )

.

He's absolutely sure

That brothers are the best

And nothing is better

Than family

(Not even _meat_ )

.

He also knows

That one of them is gone

And doesn't that hurt

Even more than grandpa's fists

He learned love

Can hurt more than anything else

(And he promises: _Never again_ )

.

He knows he's going to die

One day or another

But the only part he cares about

Is whether it'll be before

Or after

He rules

(He hopes it's after)

.

He knows

He can't sing

Or build things

Or learn about history

Or cure the sick

Or navigate

Or cook

Or shoot

Or swing a sword

He can't even lie

(I'm _gonna_ be king of the pirates!)

Death, he wants to say,

Don't make words

That taste like freedom

(Even better than meat)

The one lie

I told well

.

Death,

He wants to say

There are hopes

And dreams

And then there are facts

Nakama

Freedom

Love

Hats

Brothers

And _King_

Are just a few of them


	10. Zero: The Boy in Red

Zero (All)

* * *

 **(The Boy in Red)**

* * *

Here is a boy

Who looked in the face of Death

And laughed

Asking him

To be his friend

.

Even if he's only half there

Looking at this boy in red

He can't help but wonder

If this is another tale

He will someday sing

To a certain whale

.

(Pretty soon he decides

Of all his stories and songs

This could quite possibly be his favorite)

.

Instead of singing of friends

Now he sings _to_ them

.

.

Here is a boy

Who looked in the face of an enemy

And smiled

Realizing he wasn't so bad after all

And after hearing he builds ships

And has a dream

Well, it was inevitable, wasn't it?

.

Dear Tom, just to say,

He's found his shining star

(As stupid as that sounds)

This boy in red is a _super_ guy

And this ship will sail the sea

For years to come

.

(If there's anyone who can challenge the world

And _win_

Then it's this boy in red)

.

He's more metal than skin

But he's shining brighter than ever

.

.

Here is a boy

Who looked in the face of emptiness

And agreed

To take responsibility

For a life he saved

.

She'd given up hope

When the last chance she had wasn't right

And she could see it-

The demon child, all grown up

Buried by sand and history

Though sitting in that cave, she thought

Perhaps she really didn't mind

.

(Until this boy in red

Decided on his own that she had to live

She'd never met anyone more selfish

And caring

In her whole life)

.

And she thought

(Watching the boy and his friends dance like fools)

Perhaps she doesn't mind living a little more

(If only to create history

Instead of just discovering it)

.

.

Here is a boy

Who looked in the face of a monster

And decided

There was nothing cooler

Than a reindeer doctor

And he _has_ to come along

.

Sakura petals remind him of pink snow

(Once an impossible dream)

While blue reminds him of the sky

And the sea on a calm day

A world this boy in red

(A bigger monster than he ever was)

Dragged him into,

Blue nose, furry skin and all

.

(With him, monsters can be doctors,

And there's no need to forget,

'Cause it _doesn't matter_ if they're monsters)

.

And if this boy in red

Says blue noses are 'totally cool'

Goddamnit, that doesn't make him happy~

.

.

Here is a boy

Who looked in the face of betrayal

And announced

He would save her

Because he never believed

She was anything less than a friend

.

Who would've thought pirates could be anything less than cruel?

She didn't, that's for sure

Though when she's sailing

(As a pirate, no less)

She thinks

Out on the water

Perhaps Piracy and Death don't go hand in hand

Because his laugh is like honey and water

And his faith in her

Is sweet and simple

.

(She used to want nothing more than to be free

When she had lives to save

Now, she has a life to _live_ )

.

Freedom tastes like oranges

And with this boy in red

Piracy just might taste that way too

.

.

Here is a boy

Who looked in the face of stubbornness

And convinced him

That sometimes dreams

Had more weight than promises

And besides, his cooking is the _best_

.

Occasionally he wonders

How far his chivalry can stretch

'Cause when he was taught to 'always feed the hungry'

He didn't take people like this boy in red

Into consideration

( _Black holes_ are unexpected)

Though sometimes

He remembers when this boy in red

Asked him ( _ordered_ him)

To be his cook

To leave

To chase his dream

And he _did_

.

('Cause his cooking is the best,

And finding a mystical sea,

'Is a good dream,' he had said)

.

As much as he was taught to treat women right

He doesn't mind feeding this boy a little more

After all, he did need a lesson in how to leave

And here he is, leaving and coming home,

All at the same time

.

.

Here is a boy

Who looked in the face of cowardliness

And saw bravery

Even if he was gullible

When it came to lying

8000 men doesn't change what he sees

.

Someday, he will travel every sea

Sail far and wide across the oceans

To tell every island of his tales

And stories

Of giants and gods and mermaids and places

That were even better than dreams

He'll tell the honest truth

Of this boy in red

(Who really _was_ their captain)

And all their adventures

No longer the main character

Of his own stories

.

(He won't even mention the mount of gold

Or the ten thousand men)  
.

They'll know then

That he's a warrior of the sea

And know he hasn't told a lie

And all his tales were true

.

.

Here is a boy

Who looked in the face of a man

With a dream as big as his own

(No, not a dream- _a fact_ )

And proclaimed to the world

He would have the best swordsman

At his side

.

Here he is, back to back

With this boy in red

Fighting people who leap at him

As soon as they see his swords,

Ready for a challenge

And he'll beat them, one by one,

Because that's why he's here

.

(No one can ignore him now

Here he is, in the biggest sea,

With this boy in red at his side

And the people in the weakest seas

Know his _name_

Instead of his sword)

.

Three swords

Two hands

And a captain to follow

The world will shake at his words

 _'I'll be the best!'_

(As for his promise, he's getting so much closer)

.

.

Here is a boy

Who looked in the face of Life

And said

'I will be king of the pirates!'

And Life sent him on his way

To tear the world asunder

To laugh

And fight

And turn dreams into _facts_

.

(Fate and ocean currents

Are both just as good

At sending barrels into whirlpools)

.

And that, my friends,

Is a fact

.

 **(End)**


	11. Infinity: The Art of Freedom (preview)

Infinity

* * *

 **(The Art of Freedom: Preview)**

* * *

One for the skeleton, lonely out at sea

Two for the hands causing more hands to be

Three for his swords, one promise and two curses

Four for the girl taking coins from your purses

Five for the doctor, a candy loving friend

Six for the sniper and all the tales he has to rend

Seven for the metal man with a super grin

Eight for the cook and ladies' hearts he has to win

And Nine for the man who took them all out to sea

'Come be my nakama, and catch your dreams with me!'

* * *

 _This marks the end of 'The Boy in Red' Poem series. **This story can be considered complete; however, I will post any additional poems I write about One Piece characters under my new story, The Art of Freedom.** The Art of Freedom will be a less organized, more request-based series than 'The Boy in Red', and will include poems both about the Strawhat Pirates and any other One Piece characters. __Should you have any characters you wish a poem to be written about, or characters you want to see more work of, leave a review with their name, and I will do my best to comply._

 _Thank you for reading this far, and I hope you enjoyed poetic interpretations about these characters we all know and love! **If you find the time, let me know what you liked (or didn't like) about this series. Most of all, though, I am interested to hear which poem was your favorite.** Also, let me know whether or not you liked the style of each chapter- should I start putting author's notes in them, thanking reviewers and such, or do you prefer just the text? It will help me decide how I will do future stories._

 _ **Thanks to all my favoriters, followers, reviewers, and readers in general**_ _\- you guys are what makes the fanfiction world go 'round, and I'm glad you gave fanfiction poetry a chance._

 _Until next time-_

 _Happy_


End file.
